Brian Tracy, self-help author and speaker
I'm employed as owner and operator of a home-based desktop publishing company serving the printing trade with typesetting and graphic arts.
Early in my agility "career" I felt I needed to keep accurate and complete records of our agility competitions. Once AKC lost one of Winston's novice leg records and I was able to go to my records and tell them the date, club, judge, his time, etc. But I wanted to know more. I made up a book with a form that included those items as well as location, weather conditions, trial giving club, and lots more. In 2000 I turned these records into my first book: Agility Competition Record. Clean Run took it on and it has become very popular with agility competitors.
Friends who compete in both agility and obedience suggested I author a book similiar to the agility book for obedience and my Obedience Competition Record Book was published in 2002.
Until I got Winston when he was 1 1/2 years old, I had never owned a dog. I had never trained a dog. I was not an athlete nor a performer! I had never heard of zoning, peaking, ideal performance state, or any of the other mental or emotional aspects of performing a sport, or performing anything for that matter. Yet, with only a few months of obedience classes under my belt I discovered agility and jumped in feet first! Soon I was "hooked" and I wanted to be good at the sport. Winston and I developed into a pretty good team, but we still were not qualifying very often. There would be just one little "oops!" for each run. I wondered if I was limited by the "mental factor". I started devouring books on the mental aspects of sports competition and noted repeated references to keeping a training diary or journal. So I made up my own training journal, set my goals, and made my journal my new best friend.
That is how AIM HIGH came to be. Published in 2003, it was more than 2 years in "evolution" while I used it and tweaked it. Meanwhile I was setting and meeting my goals: MACH 2001, MACH2 and CD, 2002, MACH3 and MAD 2003, ADCH in February 2004, and MACH4 in Sept. 2005.
As soon as AKC announced that Rally would become a titling sport, friends began asking when my Rally record book would be published. A year in the making, my Rally Competition Record book was published in August 2004!
All my books have spaces for comments because I like to comment on our successes, training issues, and other reference needs. I refer back often for
With my agility goals for Winston behind me, Winston and I became more involved in Freestyle and in May 2005 we traveled to Davisburg, Michigan where Winston earned his Freestyle Dog Master title...what a dog and what a dancing partner!!! In April 2006 we traveled to Atlanta and Winston earned 2 of the 3 legs required for his WCFO freestyle championship. At the same competition, Louie, up and coming fast, earned 2 of the 3 legs required for his WCFO freestyle Master title! Winston loves Latin music and Louie dances great to classical.
In October 2004 Winston earned his WWKC Master Rally title, GiGi earned her Advanced Rally title, and Louie earned his Novice Rally title. Winston earned his AKC Rally Excellent title in 2005, becoming the first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to do so.
I owe my books, my passion for agility, freestyle, and dog training, my health and vitality, to my loyal and steadfast friend, companion and partner Winston, now 14 years old. I know the thrill of being one of those whose dog responds to my every move, flinch, thought. He is my once-in-a-lifetime dog who has taken me on the journey of a lifetime!
At 14 years old now, with Mitral Valve Degeneration and arthritis in his back, Winston still loves to heel and thinks he's dancing and likes to be there for a little treat when the others get treats for working! He also loves going to the park.
Our coach GiGi is now at the rainbow bridge...playing with her Kong in the sunshine and waiting for me.
Thank you, GiGi, for all you gave us...there is an awful void in our lives and hearts now. When I look up into the night sky, I see a special star brightening the heavens and it's you. We miss you terribly and will always love you.
Mom and Ken